Roentgen apparatus



July 21, 1953 K. w. w. NOSCHIS 2,646,514

ROENTGEN APPARATUS Filed May 12, 1948 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 nvvavrok KA u Wu HELM W44 new Nose/#3 July 21, 1953 K. w. w. Noscms ROENTGEN APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 12, 1948 ATTORNEY July 21, 1953 w, w, osc -us 2,646,514

ROENTGEN APPARATUS Filed May 12, 1948 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOI? /\A u WlLI-IEL M WALTER 4 05 0/105 Patented July 21, 1953 ROENTGEN APPARATUS Kaj Wilhelm Walter Noschis, Stockholm, Sweden,

assignor to Georg Schonander, Grondal, Sweden, a company of Sweden Application May 12, 1 8,.SQ f a1.N-.2 698; In Finland May 12, 1947 12 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in apparatus for Roentgen photofiuorography, especially of the lungs of a patient, and has particular reference to apparatus ofv the transportable or mobile type for mass radiography. In addition to the Roentgen radiation source a photofluorographic apparatus consists mainly of a camera with accesshielding persons in the vicinity of the apparatus.

In addition to the requirement of radiationproofness transportability and mobility mass radiography apparatus should be light in weight and operate rapidly. The transportable ones should be readily disassembled and reassembled and the mobile one should be compact in structure so as to take up minimum space and be readily loaded in a bus or trailer or other vehicle.

Some types of apparatus of this kind, therefore, are provided with a vertically-movable platform for the patient, a so called patient elevator, by which the patient can be put in correct position relative to his height.

For complying with the above requirements the present invention suggests substantially the following improvements.

The patient platform should be provided with a counterload keeping it in elevated position patient. The patient will thereby very rapidly be brought into position for exposure, and this posiwhen unloaded, and with a speed regulator limit- .ing its downward speed when occupied by the tion of the apparatus may be secured by an ar- Y resting device. Without much delay the time of exposure and/or intensity of radiation necessary may be ascertained or automatically conveyed to appropriate means in the apparatus by combining with said platform a weight sensitive member, e. g. a balance device, responsive to the weight of the patient. The weight of a person has been found by experience to be substantially proportional to the dose of radiation required. It is also possible in combination with a movable rear part of the apparatus to use means responsive to the breast depth of a patient.

Said rear part preferably comprises a portion of an. exposure box surrounding the place where the patient stands during exposure. According to an embodiment of the invention this box is divided into a front part at the image screen and a rear part re'ciprocabl'y movable relative to said front part. The fact that the entire rear part is movable reduces the space necessary as compared with boxes having doors and reduces the total weight of the apparatus, as in this case the box can be made shorter. Another advantage obtained by this movability is the fact that it can be made use of for releasing the film shifting in the camera so that the latter will take place automatically as soon as the box is opened to let out the patient who has been photographed.

In order to reduce the time of exposure without increasing the radiation intensity, which is particularly importantin the present kind of apparatus, and gain other advantages it has been suggested to employ-the mirror optic known from astronomical instruments. The distance between the camera and the photofluorescent screen will, however, then be too great so that the total length of apparatus becomes very inconvenient, in particular for loading into a bus or the like. Further the weight of apparatus will be excessively great due to the large lead protection needed between the image screen and the camera. These drawbacks will be overcome according to the invention by arranging alight-rayJ-defiecting optical system, such as a mirror oria prism, ahead of the image screen to project the image sideways, pref: erably downwards, and placing the camera correspondingly with its axis at an angle, preferably at about right angles to the X-rays.

Relating to this arrangement of the camera is an improvement of the method of Roentgenogram identification constituting a part of this invention. In mass photoroentgenography the patient usuallybrings his identification card on which is noted, among other things, his name and list number. Itis now suggested that the card be inserted intoa receptacle at the photofiuorescent screen, in such way that the identifying text, facing the camera, will come within the image field of the screen at the same sideas the cameraand be lighted up by a concealed light source placed behind a verysmall rapid shutter coordinated with the shutter or any other similar means of the camera.

Through the cooperation of various means dealt with above a complete transportable or mobile photofluorographic apparatus can be madeshorter than 2 meters in length, e. g. 1.7 to 1.8 meters,about 2 meters in height and 0.8 to

3 0.9 meter broad. It can be formed in relatively light sections so that a single man can in about minutes assemble or disassemble the entire apparatus. By the various weight saving means the total weight of the apparatus can be reduced considerably.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating an embodiment thereof, but it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto.

In the drawings Figs. 1 to 4 are perspective representations, Fig. 1 illustrating the total apparatus according to the invention and Figs. 2 and 3 showing details of the apparatus of Fig. 1, viz. a photographic camera unit and lighting set, respectively, and Fig. 4 shows an accessory transport carrier. Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic representation of a movable patient platform, which is an alternative of that shown in Fig. 1.

On the base plate l are mounted the Roentgen radiation source 2 by means of the stand 3, the lower piece i! of the stationary front part of a patient box, the upper piece 12 of which carries the photofiuorescent screen 4, and the framework 5 carrying the photographic camera unit 6. Longitudinally of the base plate I are secured rails i for the movable rear part of the patient box, comprising a lower piece 13 and an upper piece I4.

In the lower piece H of the front part the vertically movable platform H is arranged. The platform proper is detachably mounted in a frame comprising two vertical supports 22 connected to each other by an upper bar 23 and each having projecting arms 24 for pins 25 about which the platform 2! is pivoted by slots 21 in lugs 26 so that it may be detached when turned up and lowered. The supports 22 slide on guides 28 and the frame is suspended by strings 29 running over pulleys 39 journalled in pins 39 of the lower front part ii and carrying at their free ends counter-weights 31 which may weigh, for instance, 25 kilograms. The counter-weight will then normally tend to keep the platform 2| at its upper position. Connected to the bar 23 is the rod 32 fixed to a piston I82 movable in the cylinder 33 which contains a suitable pressure liquid, such as oil or a glycerol mixture, or possibly a gaseous pressure medium. At the bottom of said cylinder is an outlet valve operated by a lever 34 which is preferably actuated over a Bowden cable 3'5 by a handle 35 fitted at a convenient position to be operated by the personnel using the apparatus. Through an outlet valve line I03 the cylinder 33 communicates with a container or reservoir Hi4 preferably situated above the cylinder. The container may also communicate with the cylinder 33 over an inlet valve H35 of greater capacity than said outlet valve so as to expedite the upward movement of the platform.

A convenient implement is the patient height indicator provided on the front part 12 of the patient box at its entrance, This implement may consist of a pointer 15 secured to a cord i6 which is passed over rollers if near the ceiling of the box and secured at a convenient point, such as arm E8, on the frame of the platform. The cord 16 carries at its free end a spring or a weight iii to keep it stretched. If appropriately positioned on the cord it this pointer 15 compared with some characteristic point on the patient, for instance his shoulder, will be helpful to warn the operator to arrest the platform 4 in its upward movement according to the height of the patient.

Fig. 5 shows an alternative platform device having only mechanical implements. The device has two vertical guides 4| and 42 secured to a bottom plate 43. A patient platform 44 is arranged-to move along the guides by means of steering members 45 and 48. The upper ends of the guides are connected by a cross bar 4?. On a bracket 48 are pivoted a geared driver wheel 59 and cooperating therewith a double toothed gear 50, 51 in turn acting on a toothed gear 52, on the shaft of which is also journalled a braking drum 64 cooperating with a braking shoe 53 on a release lever 54. On said shaft is also a centrifugal brake device consisting of two sliding shoes 55, 57 rotating in a brake casing 55. Shoes 56, 51 are pressed against the inside cylinder surface of the brake casing with greater force the faster is their rotary movement. At a given speed of rotation equilibrium is attained between the driving and the braking forces and the downward movement of the patient platform 44 connected to this system, due to the weight of the patient, becomes uniform. The platform 44 is connected to this braking system by means of a wire 58 which engages the driver wheel 49 and passes over guide pulleys 59 and ti} and carries at its other end a counter-weight iii. The brake shoe 53 is pressed against the brake drum by a spring 62 so as to lock the platform ts. Another spring 63 acts as a shock absorber for the upward movement of the platform 44 due to the counter-weight Bl when the patient has left the platform. In the upward movement of the platform the driver wheel may preferably be arranged, in a maner flnown per se, to be released from the braking system. The

' entire device constitutes a unit per se and may thus be used in connection with different kinds of Roentgen apparatus. The appropriate initial position should then be in each case separately adjustable. By way of example it may be mentioned that at a height of 45 centimeters above the floor surface the patient platform has been found to have a suitable upper position.

In operation, the patient climbs the platform 44, the weight of the patient being indicated in the figure by the arrow A. The photographer moves the lever 54 upwards against the action of spring 62 so as to release the brake shoe 53 from the brake drum 64 and the platform descends with uniform speed until the photographer moves the lever 54 into braking position at the desired position of the patient relative the image screen. Simultaneously the counter-weight 6| is lifted. When the patient leaves the platform, the latter, influenced by the counter-weight, returns to its upper position until the spring 63 comes into action which, preferably, takes place somewhat before the counter-weight reaches the bottom.

The described device is to be considered as an example not limiting the scope of the invention. Thus, its elements may be varied as to structure in many ways. The centrifugal brake may, for instance, comprise'paddles rotating in a closed chamber filled with liquid, the paddles being, if desired, adjustable for different resistances against the liquid during rotation so as to obtain the desired speed of the patient platform. Then a regulation may, of course, also be obtained in the braking device described by controlling the initial pressure of the sliding shoes against the brake casing, for instance, by regulating the spring 65 between the brake shoes.

source 2 projects.

I If desired, an auxiliary lifting device, eg. a hydraulic arrangement may be attached to. the device described to permit the patient platform to be raised for adjustment of position while the patient stands on it. v

As will be understood, the invention also comprises a method for controlling the Roentgen radiation required for the correct exposure of the patient to be photographed as a function'of, his weight, by using a load sensitive member in connection with the platform.

For carrying out this method onlya very simple device is required. It consists, for instance, of a balance, the scale of which consists of the platform on which the patient stands while being photographed. The balance occupies different positions in height depending on the weight of the patient and these positions are then transmitted in a suitable way, for instance, by levers, pressure tubes, electrically etc, to a device known per se registering the position of the balance as the time of exposure corresponding thereto. The

device registering the balance position may also be arranged to influence the voltage controllerof the X-ray tube. In this case for instance, the time of exposure may be constant while the intensity of the radiation is varied by varying the working voltage of the X-ray tube as a function of the balance position. Also combinations of intensity and time control may come into consideration. In order to eliminate erroneous results the balance should preferably be arrested until the vertically movable patient platform has reached its correct position in height, when such a platform be used. Returning now to the apparatus shown in Fig. 1, another means for exposure control in response to the weight of patient will be described. Attached to the pressure room of the cylinder 33 is a pipe 37 transmitting the pressure prevailing therein to a pressure indicator 38 which'is preferably graduated in voltage or second-sor the like so as directly to show the exposures corresponding to the weight of the person standing on the platform. In addition to or instead of the indicator 38 an arrangement may be attached to pipe 3-1 for the automatic actuation of themeans controlling the time of exposure or the intensity of the X-ray beam, for instance, by influencing the voltage impressed on the X-ray tube used.

The patient box according to the invention consists of the stationary front part II, I2 and the horizontally movable rear. part l3, l4. mounted on a frame l0 having rollers H adapted to roll on the rails l. The Roentgen radiation source 2 being stationary, the upper piece 14 of the rear part has an opening through which said When advanced to its foremost position the rear part. l3, l4 forms in cooperation with the. front part H, l 2 av completely enclosed exposure box.

In one embodiment the invention makes use of the movability of the rear part for ascertaining the correct exposure. conditions by means of a feeler member is arranged in said rear part. Feeler member'consists of a rod 13 provided in the side walls of the rear part and having secured thereto two arms 14 between the free ends of which is stretched a cord 12 or the like. When the rearpart is advanced cord 12 will contact the back of the patient standing on the platform 21 and will cause the rod 1 3 to rotate in response to the thickness of the patients breast. -The deflection may be indicated by a pointer 15 on a. scale [6, or. may be. automatically conveyed $0,175

6 the exposure controls as. explained. above. with reference to the pressure pipe 31.

In an alternative. arrangement, a rod may be resiliently mounted in said rear part of the box at the level of the patients breast or the photofiuorescent screen and perpendicularly thereto. When the rear part is advanced the rod will contact the back of the patient and, owing to its resiliency, will move relative to the rear part as the latter is further advanced- The rod may conveniently project at the back of the rear part and the thickness of the patients: breast will then be easily ascertained from the increase in the projecting length of the rod.

The movability of the rear part may be also utilized for effecting the shifting of the photographic image receiving material, such as a film Bl, in the camera 6. A device for that purpose may consist of a hook device arranged so as in the closed position of the. rear part relative. the front part to hook a wire or the like for the film shifter of the camera (fitted in said front part) to a cooperating member fitted in said rear 'part, and during the opening movement of said rear part to pull said wire or the like a distance necessary for shifting the film and then to release it from said rear part.

As illustrated, the shifting device may alternatively consist of a coupling lever 82. pivoted in a box 83 secured to the base plate I or some part connected thereto. At the same. level the lower piece l3 has a pin 84 or the like so. arranged as to catch said lever 82 and turn it when it. is passed.

The photographicv camera unit. illustrated. is a hole mirror camera the axis of which is dis.- posed vertically. At the top of the unit 6 is a mirror 35 which is at the same level as the photofluorescent screen 4 when the unit is positioned on its support 5. The mirror is preferably of the surface metallized, e. g. surface aluminized or silver plated, type. Optical systems of less rapidity may be used or the time of exposure may be shortened. The mirror stands at an angle of 45 to the light beams 86 from the screen image and the mirror reflects the beams vertically. At the bottom of the unit is a concave mirror 8'1 which directs the light rays to the film window 88 of the film holder 89 which is connected to the film magazines all.

Outside the camera. unit at about. the level of the lower portion of the image screen 4. is the illuminating box 91, preferably detachably secured. It has a holder 92 for an ordinary electric bulb. 93 the light of which can be passed through the small shutter 94 whichv isoperated by a mechanism 955 simultaneously with the Roentgen photographic exposure so. as to illuminate the identification card 96. inserted into the receptacle 9'! in the upper piece I2 of the front part of the patient box. The photographic image on the film 8! will then also contain an image of the appropriate part of the card.

It is possible to arrange the Roentgen section proper horizontally, which is advantageous when the patient is placed upright, andthe photo optical section, and the camera section may be arranged vertically. The greater part of this section will thus be brought out'of the region of the Roentgen rays and lead protection around this section may be dispensed with altogether, While only small lead protection outside the mirror or prism deflecting the image rays will absorb the X-rays when they have served. their purpose.

' Owing to the increase of length of the camera cone possible according to the invention it will, again, be possible to use a hole mirror camera wherein the correction may be carried out by spheric or aspheric surfaces, for instance by a Schmidt correction plate.

According to an embodiment of the invention the optical system consists of one'or more curved mirrors, preferably curved in only one plane. The curvature is preferably such that it will wholly or partly correct the false reproduction met with particularly in cameras of great rapidity. Then, of course, even other means of correction may come into use.

The corrections required should, of course, be carried out in two directions perpendicular to one another. Since mirrors curved in more than one plane will not very well come into consideration, the correction may with advantage be carried out according to the invention in one direction at one place and in the other direction at another place. Thus two mirrors arranged at right angles to each other may be used in the path of the light beams but in that case reflection losses are suffered in two mirrors and even if the mirrors are of the surface reflecting type, it is preferred to use only one mirror. Therefore, especially when using hole mirror cameras, it is possible to use one or, if desired, more curved mirrors in combination with a curved photofluorescent screen. It is then possible to use a plane film or a curved film. It is thus evident that the correction can be effected by bending one or more of elements of the constellation: photofluorescent screen, mirror and photographic reception material.

It being an object of this invention to provide a readily transportable apparatus which is disassemblable in parts conveniently packed for transport and easily handled by a single operator, the front and rear parts of the patient exposure box are made in pieces H, !2 and l3, 28 respectively. The camera unit is removable as a unit and, containing the most fragile units, it is during transport preferably tied to a resilient transport cart as shown in Fig. 4:. The cart has a frame connected at the front to the cart wheels over springs 3-8 and resting at the back on springs 99;

Should, however, the mirror 85 happen to break during transport the hole mirror 81 will be saved if a cover or damper is inserted between said mirrors. Such cover or damper may be arranged automatically to be inserted as soon as the camera unit is removed from its support 5.

What is claimed is:

l. A patient-supporting device for roentgenography comprising a vertically-movable platform for supporting and adjusting the vertical position of the patient to be roentgenographed, a, counterweight connected with said platform and arranged normally to move said platform upwardly but to permit downward movement of the platform under the weight of the patient, a speed controlling member, and means for arresting the platform at a desired level when the platform moves downwardly, said speed controlling member comprising a piston connected to said platform and a cylinder to receive said piston, there being an enclosure in said cylinder limited at one side by said piston, and an outlet in communication with said enclosure.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising a container and communication means between said outlet and said container.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 2, further comprising an inlet conduit between said container and said enclosure of greater capacity than said communication means.

4. A patient-supporting device for roentgenography comprising a vertically-movable platform for supporting and adjusting the vertical position of the patient to be roentgenographed, a counterweight connected with said platform and arranged normally to move said platform upwardly but to permit downward movement of the platform under the weight or the patient, a speed controlling member, and means for arresting the platform at a desired level'when the platform moves downwardly, said speed controlling member comprising a. piston connected to said platform and a cylinder to receive said piston, there being an enclosure in said cylinder limited at one side by said piston, and an outlet in communication with said enclosure, said outlet having an opening of adjustable cross-sectional area.

5. A patient-supporting device for roentgenography comprising a vertically-movable platform for supporting and adjusting the vertical position of the patient to be roentgenographed, a counterweight connected with said platform and arranged normally to move said platform upwardly but to permit downward movement of the platform under the weight of the patient, a speed controlling member, and means for arresting the platform at a desired level when the platform moves downwardly, said speed controlling member comprising a piston connected to said platform and a cylinder to receive said piston, there being an enclosure in said cylinder limited at one side by said piston, and a closable outlet in com-- munication with said enclosure.

6. A patient-supporting device for roentgenography comprising a vertically-movable platform for supporting and adjusting the vertical position of the patient to be roentgenographed, a counterweight connected with said platform and arranged normally to move said platform upwardly but to permit downward movement of the platform under the weight of the patient, a speed controlling member connected to and arranged yieldingly to counteract the downward movement of said platform, a motion responsive member connected to and arranged to move in response to the vertical downward movement of said platform, and arresting means arranged to engage said motion responsive member.

7. A patient-supporting device for roentgenography comprising a vertically-movable platform for supporting and adjusting the vertical position of the patient to be roentgenographed, a counter-weight connected with said platform and arranged normally to move said platform upwardly but to permit downward movement of the platform under the weight of the patient, a

speed controlling member connected to and arranged yieldingly to counteract the downward movement of said platform comprising a wheel, a

flexible member in driving engagement with said wheel, one end of said flexible member being attached to the platform and the other end being subjected to a pulling force, a centrifugal regulator connected to said wheel and a stopper arranged to engage said speed controlling member, a-motion responsive member connected to and arranged to move in response to the vertical downward movement of said platform, and arresting means arranged to engage said motion responsive member for arresting the platform at a desired level when the platform moves down- I wardly.

8. A patient-supporting device for roentgenography comprising a vertically-movable platform for supporting and adjusting the vertical position of the patient to be roentgenographed, a counter-weight connected with said platform and arranged normally to move said platform upwardly but to permit downward movement of the platform under the weight of the patient, a speed controlling member connected to and arranged yieldingly to counteract the downward: movement of said platform comprising a wheel, a

flexible member in driving engagement with said wheel, one end of said flexible member being attached to the-platform and the other end being subjected to a pulling force, a centrifugal regulator connected to said wheel, a brake connected to said brake arranged to be intermittently actuated, a motion responsive member connected to and arranged to move in response to the vertical downward movement of said platform, and arresting means arranged to engage said motion responsive member for arresting the platform at a desired level when the platform moves down- Wardly.

9. In an apparatus for roentgenography'having a Roentgeneray source and a Roentgen-ray sensitive image plate spaced therefrom to define a vertical patient-receiving space therebetween, a vertically-movable platform for supporting and adjusting the vertical position of the patient to be roentgenographed in said space relative to the image plate, a counterweight connected with said platform and arranged normally to move said platform upwardly but to permit downward movement of the platform under the weight of the patient, a speed controlling member connected to and arranged yieldingly to counteract the downward movement of said platform, a motion responsive member connected to and arranged to move in response to the vertical downward movement of said platform, and arresting sensitive image plate spaced therefrom to define a vertical patient-receiving space therebetween, a vertically-movable platform for supporting and adjusting the vertical position of the patient to be roentgenographed in said space relative to the image plate, a counter-weight connected with 10 said platform and arranged normally to move said platform upwardly but to permit downward movement of the platform under the weight of the patient, a speed controlling member connected toand arranged yieldingly to counteract the downward movement of said platform, a motion responsive member connected to said platform and arranged to move in response to the vertical downward movement of said platform, and arresting means arranged to engage said motion responsive member for arresting the platform at a desired level when the platform moves downwardly, means forming an entrance for subjects to be roentgenographed in said vertical space, a carrier movable vertically in response to the movement of said platform at said entrance, and a pointersecured to said carrier at'a position at about breast level of the subject.

inder to receive said piston, there being an en-v closure in said cylinder limited at one side by said piston, said cylinder being adapted to receive a fluid, pressure responsive means actuatable by the pressure of said fluid, and pressure registering means connected to said pressure responsive means.

12. Apparatus as defined in claim 11, said pressure responsive means being operatively connected to means for controlling the dosage of the Roentgen radiation from said source to said image plate, radiation time and intensity.

KAJ WILHELM WALTER NOSCHIS.

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